


The Skeleton Key

by Nicochu



Series: The Demigods of South Park [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, South Park
Genre: Because of Eric, Blood, Book One, Canon-Typical Behavior, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, Fighting, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Major character death in first chapter, Mental Health Issues, Mild Gore, Multi, Post-The Trials of Apollo, Ships are Light, Slow Burn, Slurs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:07:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29116488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicochu/pseuds/Nicochu
Summary: //Book One//Kyle Broflovski on his twelfth birthday didn’t think his life could get any worse or better. Things were simple just the way he liked them. Sure his friends and he would get into their daily dose of trouble. However, when he and his friends make a trip to New York City their lives take a turn for the worse. Greek Mythology was real, he and his friends were now a part of a world that only existed in the pages of English textbooks. If anything couldn’t get any stranger, an item was stolen from Hades, and Kyle and his friends are the only hope for finding it.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Bebe Stevens/Wendy Testaburger, Calypso/Leo Valdez, Craig Tucker/Tweek Tweak, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Kenny McCormick/Leopold "Butters" Stotch, Kyle Broflovski/Stan Marsh, Nichole Daniels/Heidi Turner, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Piper Mclean/Shel, Token Black/Clyde Donovan
Series: The Demigods of South Park [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2136351
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	The Skeleton Key

**Author's Note:**

> The Boys get more than they bargained for during a trip to New York City.

It wasn’t until Kyle Broflovski’s twelfth birthday that things around him started to get strange. Kyle’s life was going fine. His life was mediocre at best, at least as mediocre as it could get by living in a small town that had the daily amount of crazy. It wasn’t until he started seeing _them_ - creatures he’d only thought about in textbooks shoved onto him in English class. Gods and monsters of ancient times had been jumping out of his mythology textbook and into his backyard. 

When he told his mom she mumbled something and looked worried, but gave him a simple order to just forget about what he saw, that it would be better if he did. Kyle had himself simply thinking he was crazy, but one thing made him think otherwise. His friends Stan, Kenny, Cartman, and Butters all claimed they saw the same. Maybe it was something in the mountain water, it wasn’t unlikely with how batshit the whole town was. 

He started to believe that it was normal until he found himself in New York City. Somewhere between the tall metallic skyscrapers and traffic jams did Kyle start to feel tense. Sitting in an SUV driven by an alcoholic and an overly fussy woman didn’t help much either. It was all boiling up when he felt a sharp kick to his seat from behind.    
  
He craned his body around to send a harsh glare to the person behind him. Teeth gritting as he took one look at the overweight preteen. Green eyes stared straight into blue and green eyes and a sardonic grin was on the other’s lips. Kyle wanted to knock his lights out, but he knew that was precisely what the other teen wanted.    
  
“Knock it off, Cartman.” Kyle hissed. Honestly, everyone in the car was getting stir crazy from being on the road for more than twelve hours. Sure they stopped a few times, he wasn’t sure who’s crazy idea it was to drive by car from Colorado to New York City but it was happening. He remembered the looks on the adults’ faces when he mentioned taking a plane, sheet white like Casper the friendly ghost and muffled stutters, yeah he didn’t press. 

“No.” came the snide remark from Cartman. A heavy sigh escaped Kyle’s lips as he turned back around on his seat and crossed his arms.   
  
“Do you have to be such a massive dick?” piped up another voice from beside Kyle. There were about five kids stuffed into the back of the car, two adults in the front pretty much ignoring the growing tension. 

Kyle looked over at the voice. It belonged to his super best friend, Stan Marsh. They’d been friends since diapers and pretty much inseparable. He sent a grateful glance to Stan and growled as another kick hit him in the back causing his head to jolt forward. His hands clenched into fists causing his blunt nails to make crescent marks on his alabaster skin. His face was contorted into a scowl and his jaw set. With a quick movement, he unbuckled his seatbelt and launched himself into the backseat to deliver a quick blow to the unsuspecting Eric Cartman.    
  
Cartman lifted his hands to block the punches but Kyle wasn’t giving up. “Ow, you fucker! Stop! Stop!”   
  
The two boys beside Cartman moved out of the way pretty quick. Kenny looked annoyed that he had to stop reading the magazine and move away. A frown on his face as he watched the one-sided fight. “Dudes, knock it off the car’s still in motion.” Kenny sighed.    
  
The other blonde, however, had a grin on his face as he clapped, “Yeah Kyle, kick his ass!” came the exclamation. He received glares at that and a clipped reply of, “That’s not helping, Butters.” Butters stopped clapping and his smile fell. The car came to a harsh stop causing the entire cabin to jolt. Kyle flung backward and hit the back of the seat. He looked up at Cartman who had a bloody nose. Maybe he went overboard, though he did wholeheartedly believe the fatass deserved it. 

Kyle felt himself being dragged out of the car by his arm only to look up at a very disappointed Sharon Marsh. Kyle’s rage subsided and he kicked the concrete sidewalk with a brown boot. Lazily letting out a huff of air as he listened to Cartman crying. He almost felt guilty, truth be told, Cartman was his friend, of course, the other pissed him off to no end and it always ended up like this. 

Now, he had his best friend’s mother staring down at him rather unimpressed. “I want you to apologize,” she said simply. It was at that moment Kyle’s anger suppressed and he crossed his arms. Annoyance prickled at his skin like little bug bites as Cartman approached whining and complaining about the pain. The only thing Kyle could think of is how much of a baby he was acting, Cartman wasn’t even bleeding anymore. 

“Cartman, I’m sorry-” the frown from Sharon weighed down on him as he continued “-I’m sorry for beating your face in.” he sighed, a roll of his eyes and a hand reaches out in a truce. He felt a little relief when Cartman took his hand and grinned at him.    
  
“You can’t help your Jersey blood, Khal, it’s understandable.” while it seemed like a regular apology, Kyle knew there was malice in those words. He yanked his hand back and stormed off to stand beside Stan- fucking fatass. 

Kyle’s eyes glanced around the area, it wasn’t busy this time of day. There were a few stragglers by the water fountain that had a statue of a Cherub pouring water from what looked like a cup. Coins glittered at the bottom of the fountain like diamonds. His main focus was the building that they were about to enter. It was an architect’s wet dream, beautifully designed to hold all the history within. They had been dragged on an impromptu educational road trip, which all parents had agreed on. Kyle loved learning as much as the next person, but he’d much rather be doing something else with his time. 

It wasn’t that he wasn’t going to find this uninteresting though. 

Kyle kept his distance from Cartman as they were each handed a ticket to enter the museum. As they entered Kyle was hit with the smell of dusty lemon Pledge and dirt. It was quiet and the only noise was their shoes against polished flooring, it squeaked against his eardrums and it was strange to hear the echo. Kyle’s green eyes glanced around and saw statues, art pieces, and some pots. He wasn’t sure why they specifically went to The Met, apparently teaching them about art was important.    
  
Mrs. Marsh seemed to be enjoying it though. She turned to the boys and spoke, “We’ll meet back here in an hour, you boys go enjoy yourself.” she said. The five boys didn’t even question it as she disappeared behind a door across the lobby.    
  
“So, any idea of what to do now? I’m not a fan of looking at paintings for the next hour.” Stan deadpanned.    
  
“Awe, it might not be that bad, we might find something cool!” Butters insisted.    
  
They all looked skeptical until Cartman’s voice rang out through their thoughts. “Look, guys! This dude’s balls are so tiny!” He was pointing up to a Greek statue that Kyle faintly remembered from one of his textbooks.    
  
“Goddammit, Cartman.” Kyle sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. As they headed into the ancient art exhibit, Kyle felt like he was being watched. Uneasiness prickled on the back of his neck and he looked around. There was only one person there besides the five boys, a janitor in pinstripe grey clothing and he was mopping the same spot over and over. He wasn’t even looking at the boys, he was busy with his phone that had headphones attached. He glanced to the others and then back to the janitor, they didn’t seem phased, maybe he was just being paranoid.    
  
“Guys, does something seem off about janitor to you?” Kyle questioned with a twinge of shakiness in his voice. The other three stopped staring at a collection of wicker dolls and looked at the janitor in question. Kyle didn’t seem sure but it was almost like the man had gotten closer but still doing the same cleaning as before.    
  
Stan tilted his head in a confused manner, “No, dude are you feeling-” he cut himself off as the janitor had stopped cleaning, had his headphones out, and was staring at them with cold golden eyes that almost looked like a cat. The air felt like it was rushed out of Kyle’s lungs as he stared in shock. That wasn’t fucking normal. When the man grinned a sharp Cheshire grin and started moving towards them they took the cue to bolt out of the room.    
  
“Fuck that, did you see that guy’s eyes?!” Kenny exclaimed as they made it into the lobby, his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. Kyle couldn’t help but glance back at the entrance to the exhibit and felt his lungs gain back air and his fear subside when he saw absolutely nothing there. Though something was there, they had all seen it, whatever that was, it wasn’t human.    
  
But what was it?

All of his thoughts went out the window as Sharon came through the door along with Randy. As soon as the adults approached the happy looks on their faces diminished as they saw the horrified looks on the children’s faces. The happy smiles contorted from happiness to confusion and then hard concern.    
  
“Boys, what happened?” Randy spoke up for the first time that Kyle had noticed. Uncertain glances were shared among the five boys. Kyle glanced behind him again like he wasn’t sure if telling Randy would summon the cat-eyed creature again. When he saw nothing he turned back, took a deep breath, and started to explain what had happened. It wasn’t until he saw their faces turn white that he knew what they had seen wasn’t a trick of the light or a mistake.    
  
“Get in the car, we’re going to the hotel.” was their simple reply. There was radio silence among the boys, even Cartman didn’t seem to be willing to make an asinine comment. What they had seen left them all shell-shocked.    
  
The hotel room wasn’t exactly the fanciest. It was a basic hotel room, with gaudy decoration, and smelled like mothballs. Kyle had thought of it as homely, but it screamed crack hotel, especially with the yelling from the other rooms and the smell of weed. Mr. Marsh ran a weed farm so the smell was a familiar one. The Marsh’s had booked two rooms so the parents had their own room while the boys had to share a room with only two beds, so it was only simple that someone had to sleep on the couch or the floor. Kyle was determined to at least win at rock-paper-scissors to get one of the beds. Unluckily for Kyle, he sucked at the game and ended up with a pillow on the floor.    
  
He was glaring up at Cartman who was bouncing up and down in a sitting position. Reveling in the fact that he had beaten Kyle for the bed he was supposed to share with Kenny. Kyle took to ignoring the other and glancing out the window. Fatass could have the bed, he wouldn’t want to share with him anyway; he’d rather sleep on the floor. 

Outside the window was nothing but lines upon lines of trees. They had booked a hotel room outside the city. It was memorizing as the sun began to set outside, bathing the sky in hues of purple and pink. He could make out the faint rows of stars and the crescent moon rising higher and higher as the sun went to sleep for the night.    
  
Kyle’s attention shifted from the summer night sky once someone spoke up. He turned his body to glance at the speaker, it was Butters who had a thoughtful look on his face.    
  
“Fellas, don’t you think somethin’ odd is going on here?” he had spoken. 

It was probably the smartest thing he’d heard the small blonde say. It was strange, the cat-eyed janitor and the way their adult chaperones had reacted. They knew more than what they were letting on. Kyle’s hand touched his chin and his brows furrowed in thought. He then spoke his grievances.    
  
“I think our parents know more than what they’re letting on, but why keep it from us?” Kyle hummed.    
  
“Who cares, it’s clear Randy and Sharon are just drunk, maybe it’s nothing,” Cartman said.    
  
“Don’t be stupid r-tard-” Stan rolled his eyes and continued “- something was after us in that museum.”    
  
Kyle agreed with his best friend, but why would they just brush it off. He knew their parents were stupid and idiotic, they had always been. He at least thought they’d have more care for them. He let out a sigh and turned his attention back to the window, trying to process the day’s events and come up with some logical explanation of what had happened. Though at that moment he saw something that caught his attention that made his blood run cold and caused him to stumble back from the window and nearly into Cartman. 

There in the line of trees was the janitor, still in his grey clothing, those eyes staring right at their hotel window. His breath started coming in hard labors, that thing had followed them this far away from town.    
  
“Dude, what’s up?” Kenny said with a raised eyebrow.    
  
All Kyle could do was point at the window and the other’s eyes followed his direction. Every bone in his body was screaming into his flight or fight response and it wasn’t good.    
  
“God, don’t be such a pussy, Kyle, he’s not going to get us this high up.” Cartman sneered.    
  


Though the moment they watched the man start to contort into something that wasn’t normal. The head of a lion took shape, followed by the body of a goat, and soon snaked out a tail that was almost like a snake. Kyle’s brain for a moment wondered what kind of parents the thing came from. That thought process was quickly doused as it started running to the building.    
  
“Do you think it can climb walls?” came Butter’s shaky reply, his southern twinge cracking with each syllable.    
  
Kyle wasn’t going to stick around and find out. He ran as fast as he could to Randy and Sharon’s room. The group of boys coming to a halt and slamming the door behind them and locking it. Kyle felt like his heart was about to leap out of his chest, whatever that thing was, it was after them, it probably wanted to eat them with a side of fava beans, fat chance that was going to happen. 

Stan’s parents jolted out of their sleep at the slam of the door and looked around bleary-eyed. That’s when they flicked on the lights to see the boys there and as soon as they tried to speak and ask what exactly was going on there was a loud crash in the room they had just left. The sound of glass shattering and the sound of low growling.    
  
“Where are you?!” came the dark and malicious screech from the thing in the other room.    
  
“Boys, run, run to the car!” Sharon said as she jumped out of bed and ushered them from their frozen state. Kyle didn’t have to be told twice he swung open the hotel door and madly dashed down the hallway to the stairs. He looked back and saw the others were following him to his relief- Kyle wasn’t sure what he’d do if anything happened to them.   
  


Adrenaline coursed through Kyle’s body as he ran down the stairs. He could hear his friends’ breathing behind him. Each footstep he made matched the heartbeat drumming in his ears with precise notes. Kyle was sure his heart was beating harshly enough that with time it would leap into his throat and stay there.  _ ‘We just have to make it to the car and everything will be fine,’ _ he thought to himself - he hoped.

Kyle ignored the receptionist at the front desk’s greeting and burst through the double doors of the hotel lobby. The redhead could hear the heavy breaths coming from around him as they all hurriedly boarded their SUV and Sharon took off like a bat out of hell. The rain started to fall heavily upon the roof of the car creating a silent white noise as everyone came to terms with what happened.    
  
Kyle looked around at his companions and saw states of uncertainty on their faces. He took it upon himself to ask the adults up front the telling question they all had in their minds.    
  
“Mind explaining what the  _ fuck _ that was? While you’re on it why don’t you just explain what in the world is going on?” Kyle’s voice was laced with a twinge of annoyance. It was clear in his bitter tone he wasn’t going to take any more excuses. He was tired of their parents keeping secrets, especially if it meant the life or death of all of his friends and himself.   
  
“That was a monster. Please, boys, don’t ask any more questions, it’s not safe.” Sharon’s grip on the steering wheel was so tight her knuckles were white. Kyle’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t press. He crossed his arms and leaned back into his seat, he just didn’t understand what was going on and where they were going. He nearly jumped out of his seat when lightning flashed across the sky. 

“We’re going to a special summer camp, it’s a place where you can be safe. I really didn’t want it to come to this,” Ms. Marsh trailed off. Soon the only sound was the sound of the windshield wipers squeaking against the window at a rapid pace. Kyle stared out the window and tried to think.    
  
Kyle’s mind formulated new questions, such as what was this camp? Why was it special? Though all questions died on his mind once another flash illuminated the sky and in front of them was the large creature that was tailing them. Sharon swerved up a hill and came to a complete stop.    
  
Kyle felt the car shake as something bounded up the hill like a bunch of bowling balls. Kyle had no courage left in him to look behind him, dread set in. He knew if he looked behind him it would be all over, his knees would cease to work and his mind would turn to mush out of pure fear. The adrenaline from before seeping out of his body.    
  
“Run damn it.” Randy said as he looked back at the boys. They didn’t need to be told twice as they exited the car and ran up the hill. Kyle dared to look back to see the monster being fended off by Randy with a large branch.    
  
“Guys there’s a dragon!” Kenny exclaimed. True to word as soon as Kyle turned his head there at the base of a very large pine tree was a golden dragon, hanging from the pine tree was what looked like a shimmering gold fleece. All attempts to question reality were shaken out of him as he felt like had just passed through warm butter and the bottom of the hill opened up to what looked like a summer camp. 

The five boys dared to look behind them as they came to a stop. It was at that moment that they saw something they would never easily forget. The monster’s snake-like tail had impaled itself through Randy Marsh’s chest. A gasp escaped Kyle’s lips as he saw what had just occurred and quickly turned to Stan.   
  
“No!” Stan exclaimed, Stan may have not had the best relationship with his father but the man was still his father nonetheless. Kyle watched as Stan was about to go rush out and take on the monster when Kyle grabbed him by his arm to hold him in place. He wasn’t going to let his best friend go out there and get himself killed.    
  
“Let go, Kyle, I have to go help them!” Stan struggled against Kyle.    
  
“The best thing you can do is be safe in here, he wouldn’t have wanted you to die too,” Kyle reasoned. Tears started welling up in Stan’s eyes as he watched his parents be in harm’s way. Kyle wrapped his arms around Stan and held him close, lowering them to the ground. He didn’t want Stan to see this.    
  
“Don’t look.” came Kyle’s broken reply. He tried to fight back his own tears and closed his eyes tightly. A sound made his eyes snap open, it was the sound that he could only describe as a conch horn.   
  
Kyle watched as kids with weapons descended from the camp to take on the monster. What kind of camp was this? He felt wetness start to well on his chest as he held Stan tighter. The Marsh couple were not spared, they had died trying to save the five boys from the monster and their hope of getting them to safety was fulfilled.    
  
The hurt was mutual between them, they were lost without a clue of how or what or why. Kyle felt exhausted, tears were now flowing freely down his freckled cheeks. He let his head rest on top of Stan’s as his attention was caught by the sound of what resembled horse hooves. His green eyes traveled up to see a man whose body was human from the torso up but horse from the bottom down.    
  
“Something is different about these kids, Chiron.” came the questioning tone from a dark-haired boy, he looked like someone from the goth kids back in South Park, only he looked like he could kill you with one glare. 

  
Chiron looked like a fatherly figure as he looked down at the five boys with sadness mixed with sympathy.   
  
“Now's not the time, Nico.” 


End file.
